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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25956946">A Conflict of Interest</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/moon_opals/pseuds/moon_opals'>moon_opals</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Owl House (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Character Study, Gen, Lilith is going through things too, Protective Siblings, Siblings, Sisters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 08:26:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>890</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25956946</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/moon_opals/pseuds/moon_opals</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Lilith contemplates the sacrifices she's made for her sister.</p><p>She contemplates the sacrifice her sister made for her.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eda Clawthorne &amp; Lilith Clawthorne</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>50</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Conflict of Interest</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lilith could fly but walks instead. Upon her arrival, she will report a desire to conserve what little energy she retained after the battle with Edalyn Clawthorne, but she stops right as she’s about to cross over an uprooted trunk and stares.</p><p>It is known the lie will never leave her lips. The ring rests in the enclave of her palm, strangely cool despite the warmth surrounding it. A sigh escapes, and she concedes, putting one foot in front of the trunk and then another. The bark is durable under her. She sits prickly, shoulders slumped and opens her palm.</p><p>Failure is inevitable, an irregular occurrence and not often a cause for concern. A string of failures, consistent and more knife twisting than the last, is cause for alarm, at least, for any competent, ambitious witch. Lilith is revered and for good reason.</p><p>Nonetheless, her latest missions are shuttled away. A need to know basis, Kikimora explains in her grandmotherly speech. Discretion, Lilith realizes the second the creature’s plaque stained eyes tunnel through hers, proves an effective warning. It is worse than any balm Lilith could delude herself into believing.</p><p>The tides are changing, and she cannot tell when they started. Kikimora’s fealty is historic, admirable and enviable. She possesses a confidence Lilith can only dream of one day obtaining. At this rate, she darkens, clasping the ring back in her palm, throwing it so hard to the ground below an indentation steams in the dirt encircling it, I’ll be lower than the lowest grunt.  </p><p>Conciliating the Emperor’s displeasure is a simple yet complicated feat. Completed missions will sway him and push the Isles to progress, but yet...Lilith grimaces and inhales sharply. I could always return, slip in when she isn’t expecting it. This could end differently. It has to. She looks back in the distance, glaring at the house squatted in the corner of nothingness and feels her stomach recoils.</p><p>Edalyn’s gesture sits like a boulder in Lilith’s throat. Gaudy. Compassionate. Useless. It will not curb the Emperor's displeasure, but could stall perhaps until another opportunity arises. </p><p>“Oh Edalyn,” something tremors in her chest, and she cups her face in her hands. “What am I going to do with you?”</p><p>The sun descends in the distance. Quietness is encouraged and blankets the trees; beasts lurk in shadow, biding their time. Good. She can think in peace.</p><p>It was easy. Forgetting about Edalyn. About her stubbornness. About her curse. Slipping the scraps of their shared childhood to the deepest trenches of memory was deceptively simple. At times, yes, the formerly sharp witted orange haired child flashed across her eyes but only for a flash and never more than a few seconds. She suppressed the urge to call with fierce vehemence she was frightened at the emotions pulsating in her heart. </p><p>“What would…,” the question teases at the tip of her tongue, needling her frontal lobe - egging her to dare speak the words aloud. Lilith glares at the ring, biding its time in the hole she made. Accusations shine at her as moonlight folds across gold.</p><p>Edalyn’s kindness, charity and concern. The last rattles Lilith, and for the life of her, she cannot pinpoint the reason why. Her wary, sympathetic gaze struck Lilith in ways she hadn’t anticipated. Her lungs compress in a steep inhale, and she returns to the ring, bleak. It takes more effort than she likes to admit to pluck it out of its hole.</p><p>Cool, hot and light, Lilith gauges the value. Stolen? Pilfered? It feels real, authentic in a way she can’t describe. What does it matter, she wants to scream. Her sister’s morality isn’t the problem here, even when it is. </p><p>She stands suddenly, closing her fingers around the ring. In her right pocket, there’s a ring, a gentle shake. Kikimora. Another inhale, she alternates, discreetly lowering her arm the second she pops open the communicator. </p><p>“Lilith,” Kikimora materializes, patient and condescending. “I see you are well.”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“I see you are alone.”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>An instinct Lilith finds impossible to understand slips the ring into her pocket. Disappointment blossoms and coils around her throat - a twine biding its time until a concrete answer sounds, but it will pull. Lilith accepts this and nods, affirming what she has avoided all this time. </p><p>Lilith has always prided herself in her ability to speak. Her eloquent, precise language is to be admired. No wasteful pauses. Always accurate and to the point, ready to move forward. </p><p>She is repulsed at the stilted curb of her voice, a consequence of Edalyn, and feels a tremble transfer across her shoulders. “I require assistance,” she confesses, swallowing her shame. </p><p>“I understand.”</p><p>What do you know, the corners of Lilith’s mouth quirks tightly, but the scream doesn’t foam at the pit of her stomach. Kikimora’s expression is placid, patient and unfathomable.</p><p>Yet, she sighs. “We’ve known for some time it’d come to this,” she says.</p><p>Lilith almost recoils, almost releases a sob she hasn’t realized is present. “I understand,” she nods. Showing emotion is a victory for the enemy, and she is not entirely sure </p><p>“I understand,” she repeats, then sighs. “We’ve known for some time it’d come to this.”</p><p>"Yes, I know," the sound of childishness grates on her ears. “I understand.”</p><p>The ring burns like a star enclosed in shadow.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Lilith and Eda's relationship is one of the most interesting relationships in the show, and I love the topsy turvy about them. They hate each other? Yes. They love each other? Yes. They get on each other's nerves? Yes. They want to protect each other? Yes. I love complicated sibling relationships.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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